Kitabı oku: «The Royal House Of Karedes: Two Kingdoms (Books 1-3)», sayfa 7
“Wasn’t he interested in your charming declaration of affection?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your lover. Joaquin. I had the impression he ended the call rather abruptly. Didn’t your news please him?”
“That wasn’t—” She bit her lip. Would having a lover, however imaginary, offer her some protection? She needed protection; every instinct told her that. “That wasn’t polite,” she said. “Listening to my conversation.”
He smiled thinly. “And you, Ms. Santos, are the expert on etiquette, are you not?” The smile vanished; he shoved a gold pen at her. “Sign the contract.”
Why did that sound so ominous? “I insist you meet my conditions before I—”
Suddenly, his hands were on her, cupping her shoulders, lifting her to her toes.
“You’re lucky to be getting this commission,” he said coldly. “We both know that. You’re desperate for money—please, don’t waste my time denying it. And you need the prestige that comes with creating a necklace for a queen.” His tone hardened. “Sign the contract, Maria.”
Her lip trembled. She looked away from him and, for a heartbeat, he hated himself.
Was he really reduced to this? Bullying a woman on the skids? A woman whose lover had obviously not said a word to congratulate her on winning this commission?
And why should he give a damn? Maria Santos was nothing to him.
“Sign the papers,” he growled.
She picked up the pen, smoothed out the documents, laid them on the table and scribbled her name where he indicated. He felt a surge of heat sweep through him. But he said nothing, simply took the papers, folded them and tucked them back in his pocket.
“As for conditions… there are others besides the ones I mentioned. There are my conditions,” he said in a softly ominous tone. “And you will meet them.”
His gaze dropped to her lips. She felt her pulse begin to race. Whatever he was about to say was going to turn her world upside down; she could sense it.
“One,” he said, still in that soft voice, “you shall have the studio of your dreams—but on Aristo, not here.”
“Are you insane? I have no intention of—”
“I assume your passport is in order.”
“Of course, but—”
“You will leave with me, tonight.”
“You cannot do this to—”
He bent to her and kissed her. Kissed her as if she belonged to him, his tongue in her mouth, his hands cupping her bottom, lifting her to him, into him, into the heavy thrust of his erection.
“And,” he said thickly, when he finally raised his head, “you will warm my bed until you finish the job.”
“No!” She shook her head as if to emphasize her refusal. “No,” she said again, her voice high and wild, “I’ll never—”
“You will, or I’ll do what I should have done when you left my bed the first time. I’ll tell the queen about our little adventure. I’ll tell her you’re not worthy of designing her gift or of working in proximity to her. And then you can stay in this loft and forever live with the knowledge that you failed at the one thing that could have changed your life.”
Maria wanted to weep but she knew damned well her tears would have made him not just the victor but the conqueror. Instead, she forced herself to meet his gaze without flinching.
“Is this how you get your women, Your Highness? Through blackmail?”
His eyes flashed a warning. She tried to pull away but his mouth swooped down to hers; his hands swept into her hair, holding her captive to his merciless kiss until, at last, a sweet moan whispered from her throat.
Despite her fury and her hatred, it was happening again.
The hot spiral of desire she’d felt that night all those weeks ago. The sudden swift race of her heart. All those amazing, incredible feelings she’d never known before were sweeping her away.
She was dizzy in his arms, dizzy from the taste of him, the scent, the feel of his hand, now in her hair, his fingers cupping her scalp. He gathered her even closer. The hard press of his arousal dug into her belly.
Oh God. She wanted him, wanted him, wanted him…
Maria wound her arms around Alex’s neck and kissed him back.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHE was on fire.
It had been like this that night on Aristo.
Alex had kissed her, and it had been like touching a match to tinder.
Until then, she’d always thought descriptions like that were clichés, the stuff of novels and movies, but Alex had taken her in his arms and taught her that a man’s touch could change everything you knew, everything you believed, forever.
One kiss. One warm mingling of breath. One caress of lips and tongues and you were transformed, became someone else.
Someone you didn’t know, didn’t understand.
Didn’t respect.
Her eyes flew open. She slammed her hands against Alex’s broad chest. He made a sound that was almost a growl and gathered her closer. Her struggles increased.
“Alex! Damn you, let me go.”
For a moment, her words didn’t penetrate. He was lost in the taste of Maria, the feel of her soft body against his. But her hands became small fists, hammering at his shoulders. The message was clear. A moment’s tease, just enough to drive him half out of his mind…
It wasn’t going to work.
He opened his eyes and let go of her.
“Pack your things.”
His voice was low and rough, his muscles taut with anger and frustration. She had a way of getting to him and he didn’t like it. It was not something he was accustomed to.
“That’s it?” Her voice shook with indignation. “You walk in here, announce that I’m going to—to be your sex slave—”
“My mistress,” he said, mentally cursing himself. How had she reduced him to this?
“You think that makes it better? You cannot walk in here, manhandle me and expect—expect—”
“Is that what you call it when you turn soft and hot in a man’s arms and all but beg him to take you?”
Her face colored. “Get out!”
“Try singing a different tune, agapimeni. The one about being a shocked virgin is getting tiresome.”
“Is there something about ‘get out’ you don’t understand?”
“And what of the contract you just signed, Maria? Shall I take that to court and have a judge deal with it?”
“Don’t threaten me!”
“It’s not a threat, it’s a warning. You’ve committed to creating the queen’s birthday gift, to be completed by twenty-eight February and subject to my approval.”
“Your approval?”
“Indeed,” he said coldly. “Perhaps you should have read the contract more thoroughly.”
Maria wanted to laugh. Or cry. Either seemed appropriate. A minute ago, Alex had been kissing her passionately. Now, he was talking to her as if he were a prosecutor and she a balky witness.
Did he think he could use sex to control her? Or maybe he thought he could bully her. Big mistake! She’d grown up on the streets of the Bronx. What was royal arrogance compared to Bronx attitude?
“Contracts,” she said, just as coldly, “are made to be broken.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Did you lift that line from some trendy legal show?”
She flushed. Close enough. She’d taken it from an article about how a hotshot movie star had gotten away with walking out on a film.
“And you’re right,” he said, taking the contract from his pocket, flipping to a page and holding it out. “Some are. This one is not. Take a look at paragraph three.”
Why did doing as he’d suggested smack of defeat? Was it his smug tone, or was it the instinctive knowledge that what she’d find in that paragraph would not be good? She snatched the contract from his hand, read the pertinent sentences… and felt a shock of disbelief flash through every nerve in her body.
Failure of the party of the first part to complete the agreed-upon commission and/or to fulfill the additional duties required of her in their entirety …
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“Ah,” he said, his voice a low purr, “I can see that you really didn’t read this before you signed it. A bad decision, I’m afraid.”
“That’s insane! You cannot contract for—for a mistress …”
“Keep reading,” he said softly.
Did she have a choice? Her gaze dropped to the contract.
Such failure shall result in forfeiture of all goods and services already provided and repayment for same.
“What goods and services?” She looked up and flashed a triumphant smile. “You haven’t provided any.”
“Have you forgotten you’re flying to Aristo with me? Did you think I wouldn’t provide you with a workshop and tools?” He jerked his chin toward the contract. “There’s more.”
Finally, in the event of forfeiture, an additional penalty to be paid by Maria Santos in the amount of …
The typed-in number had so many zeroes it made her laugh. Alex’s eyes narrowed.
“I assure you, this is not meant for your amusement.”
No. Of course not, but what else could she do when the penalty for walking away was easily ten times the value of everything she owned?
“You must know I can’t afford anything even close to that!”
He shrugged. “I know only what is in the agreement you just signed.”
He sounded as removed as if they were discussing when the snow might stop. It not only killed her hysterical laughter, it killed any hope she’d had that this was a joke.
“But—but I’d lose everything. This loft. My clients. The people I deal with would suffer, the ones who subcontract to me. And Joaquin, who’s been with me from the start—”
“Your lover’s welfare is not my concern.”
“Joaquin is not my lover.” Maria flung the contract at his feet. “He works for me.”
He bent and picked it up, smoothing the pages, his expression blank.
“It doesn’t matter one way or the other. My only concern is this contract. Are you going to abide by it or not?
She stared at him, hating him, hating herself even more. How could she have slept with him that night? Better still, how could she have returned his kisses just now? Was she truly, pathetically her mother’s daughter?
She wanted to curse him. To pummel those broad shoulders with her fists, but what would that change? Nothing, she thought bitterly, nothing at all.
“This is usury!”
He grinned. Such a ruggedly beautiful face, she thought wildly, made even sexier by that quick devil’s smile.
“An impressive legal term,” he said. “But incorrect. The penalty to which you’ve agreed has nothing to do with a loan.”
“Damn it,” she exploded, “do not play word games with me! I know what usury means. And I know what this contract is.
Unconscionable. Immoral. Cruel and mean-spirited and—”
“And enforceable.”
“You cannot coerce a woman into—what was your phrase? Into warming your bed!”
Suddenly, he was standing much too close. She stumbled back but his big hands were already framing her face and lifting it to him.
“There’s not a word that even hints of coercion in that contract,” he said softly. “You signed it of your own free will.”
“How can you do this?” she said shakily. “Don’t you have any scruples?”
He laughed softly. “An interesting question, coming from you.” His smile faded; his gaze dropped to her lips. “One month, agapi mou. That’s all it will be. One month of being in my bed. Of spending the nights with me deep inside you.” His lips twitched, as if he’d made a joke, but his eyes were so dark they seemed bottomless. “I can endure it, if you can.”
His words made her blush. How could he joke about the devil’s bargain he was forcing on her?
“I hate you,” Maria snapped.
Alex grinned. “Hate me all you like, sweetheart. It’s not your heart I’m after.”
No, she thought, no, it wasn’t. And that was fine because her heart would never be part of this arrangement.
“Understand something, Your Highness,” she said, searching for and finding a way to salvage one tiny bit of pride. “Being in your bed is one thing. Participating in what happens there is not something you can ever expect.”
His teeth flashed in a quick smile. “A challenge?”
“A statement of fact.”
“A challenge,” he said flatly. “One I am happy to accept.”
He bent his head, brushed his lips over hers. His mouth moved against hers again and again in the lightest of kisses. She wanted to lean into him. Wanted to close her eyes, part her lips, clasp his head and bring it down closer to hers…
I feel nothing, she told herself.
And wished to God it were true.
What in the name of Chronos was she doing? Was she packing everything she owned? Jeans. T-shirts. Sweaters. Sneakers and sandals and, hell, another pair of jeans.
Alex looked at his watch, scowled and shook his wrist. Was the damned thing working? Impossible that only five minutes had passed since she’d first turned on her heel, marched away from him and dragged a suitcase from a corner of the loft.
